So I bought an old 20" Cinema Display at a yard sale for dirt cheap. I didn't have any way to test it, but for the price I took their word that it worked great.

Now I've got it connected with a Mini Displayport to DVI adapter, but all I'm getting on the monitor is a black screen. My laptop (newer Macbook Pro) recognizes it, but I don't get anything on the monitor.

Does this mean the monitor is shot? Or do I need some other sort of connection?

So I bought an old 20" Cinema Display at a yard sale for dirt cheap. I didn't have any way to test it, but for the price I took their word that it worked great.

Now I've got it connected with a Mini Displayport to DVI adapter, but all I'm getting on the monitor is a black screen. My laptop (newer Macbook Pro) recognizes it, but I don't get anything on the monitor.

Does this mean the monitor is shot? Or do I need some other sort of connection?

Thanks!

When you say "newer MBP," what exactly do you mean by newer? Because if it's a TB MBP, then I don't think it will work with that display.

Nice in theory. Not good for me. I have 2011 17" MacBook Pro and a 20" Aluminum Cinema. I've tried multiple Mini-DisplayPort to DVI adaptors. Nothing. However the monitor works just fine with my DVI MacBook Pro. I've tried it with another MacBook. It worked a couple times, and then stopped. Very odd.

With the adapter on my laptop, I get nothing. Not a sign that the machine so much as knows something is plugged in.

With the DisplayPort->VGA adapter, and a VGA->DVI adapter, the laptop sees the display (I can even change the settings on the power buttons and such), but the monitor stays dark. I can put windows on it, I can't see them. Changing display sizes does nothing to help.